Who is Fariha Farrukh? Meet Pakistani journalist whose interview mannerisms and lifestyle opinions sparked a viral meme wave

Nillohit Bagchi | Jun 09, 2026, 19:23 IST

Instagram/@hungrymemes | Pakistani influencer and presenter Fariha Farrukh has become one of social media’s most talked about names after a viral interview clip sparked memes

Image credit : Instagram/@hungrymemes | Pakistani influencer and presenter Fariha Farrukh has become one of social media’s most talked about names after a viral interview clip sparked memes

A Pakistani influencer and presenter has suddenly found herself at the centre of one of social media’s biggest viral moments. Over the past few days, clips featuring Fariha Farrukh have spread rapidly across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X, attracting millions of views and countless reactions.

What began as a relatively ordinary interview appearance quickly turned into a meme phenomenon, with viewers sharing edits, jokes and commentary across platforms. As the clips continue to circulate, many people are asking the same question: who is Fariha Farrukh, and why is everyone talking about her?

What did Fariha Farrukh say that got everyone talking?

The clips currently flooding Instagram Reels and meme pages come from Fariha Farrukh's appearance on Adeel Asif's podcast. While she discusses several topics throughout the conversation, one particular segment about food quickly became the internet's favourite talking point.

In the now viral clips, Farrukh talks about her dislike of many traditional desi dishes and says that desi food feels like "zeher" (poison) to her. After that, she also reacts strongly to foods commonly found in South Asian households. She keeps on saying 'ew' in an uncomfortable fashion whenever Adeel Asif brought up names like daal chawal, nihari, etc. Her faces and expressing visible disgust as she explains her preferences went viral for 'classist mentality'.

For many viewers, it wasn't just what she said that caught their attention. It was the way she said it. Her expressions, pauses and reactions became meme material almost instantly. Within hours, users were clipping the moments, adding captions and reposting them across platforms.

The daal comments, in particular, struck a nerve online. Across Pakistan and India, daal is considered one of the most basic and beloved comfort foods. As a result, many social media users found it amusing that someone could react to it with such strong dislike.

One user on X joked, "I've heard people say they don't like daal, but I've never seen anyone react to it like it personally offended them." Another wrote, "Calling desi food poison is the wildest take I've heard this year."

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A post shared by Fariha farrukh (@farihaspeaks)

Not everyone joined in on the jokes, however. Some users defended Farrukh and argued that internet culture often turns individuals into viral targets without considering the impact on the person involved.

One user on X said people were being unnecessarily harsh and forgetting that a real individual was behind the trending clip. Another argued that viewers were judging an entire interview based on only a few seconds of footage circulating online.

The internet's latest main character

Farrukh's situation is another example of what online communities often call the "main character" phenomenon. This happens when one person unexpectedly becomes the focus of internet attention for a short period of time. Sometimes the attention is positive, while in other cases it comes through criticism, jokes or memes. Either way, the individual suddenly becomes impossible to avoid on social media feeds.

Over the years, countless creators, influencers and everyday people have experienced similar moments. A single clip can completely change their online visibility overnight. For now, Fariha Farrukh appears to be the latest person caught in that cycle. Her name continues to trend as users debate whether the reactions are harmless fun or an example of social media taking things too far.